


Finding Home

by FizzyFoozles



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers as family, Blood and Violence, Family, Fluff, Idk what i'm doing, Non Canon Compliant - MCU, more about reader than characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:08:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FizzyFoozles/pseuds/FizzyFoozles
Summary: Reader is struggling to follow her lifelong dream of living and working in New York City, but a little (definitely a lot) help from a new friend and her unconventional family goes a long way.Basically, Natasha helps you get your head out of your ass and becomes a new sister to you.(I know this fic sounds super vague, but I'll add more tags and such when I develop the plot a little more.)NOT completely canon-compliant, but I borrow a lot of the same plot. I do not own any of the characters nor the story from which I am borrowing from.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 10





	1. Beginning in the Middle

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is the first fic I have ever published, and while there is only one short chapter right now I'm hoping you readers could help figure it out as we go. I'd love your feedback, tips, and tricks if any of you are writers as well!  
> Also, a quick note about this chapter: I did not quite start in the beginning of the story. I plan to have parts of the story that flash back to important moments in the reader's life. I may also do some for some of the other characters. Since I am literally starting the story with no real idea of where the story is headed, I will definitely update the tags as I figure it out. Thank you for your patience!

“Tell me what’s wrong.” Natasha had just closed your laptop on the coffee table and sat next to it across from you. Your cat immediately jumped on her lap and settled himself over her thighs. She scratched his ears. 

“What? Nothing’s wrong.” You tried to chuckle her accusation away, but your response sounded fake even to your own ears. You looked at Peanut, your cat, and smiled a little at his noisy purring. 

“Cut the bullshit Y/N, you’ve been hiding something from me since I’ve known you. Unlucky for you, I’m better at reading people than you are at hiding true feelings, so spill.”

She crossed her arms and glared at you from beneath her long eyelashes. You sighed and pulled back the fuzzy blanket that was draped over your legs on the couch. You reached past her for your empty glass of water to refill it. You walked to the fridge in your tiny apartment and filled your glass, taking a slow sip before turning around and leaning against the counter to look at Natasha.

“Nat, honestly, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve just been a little stressed about work, as of late.” You tried to give her a convincing smile, but you could tell by her scowl it didn’t work.

“Y/N, you aren’t fine. This isn’t about work. Something is going on in that head of yours. I’ve given you space, but I’m honestly more than worried about you and a little pissed you won’t let me in. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” 

She settled her face into a relaxed look of pity, her eyebrows knitted together and her red lips in a slight frown. She stood up and walked to the island between you in your kitchen. She sat on one of the barstools and placed her hands in front of her, obviously showing her attentiveness.

You looked at your feet. Covered in fuzzy socks and jammed into a pair of ridiculous, shiny dragon slippers. You contemplated telling her the truth, but even if you could figure out how to form your thoughts and feelings into words you weren’t sure you could face her reaction. As if sensing your distress, Peanut wound himself around your legs and looked up at you with a quiet, "mrow". 

“Natasha, please. Nothing is wrong with me, I promise. Just been a little out of sorts, but I’m feeling better. Really.” 

You mentally cursed yourself for chickening out and lying once again to your closest friend. 

“Liar,” she seethed through her teeth.

“Excuse me?”  
Your head shot up at her tone.

“I said: liar. Quit lying to me. Save me some time from figuring out what the hell has been bothering you by just telling me the truth.”

Her arms were crossed again and her tone was harsher than you’ve ever heard from her. At least, harsher than any tone directed at you. It was obvious she was fed up with you.

Your eyes watered as you bit the corner of your cheek. 

“Y/N, I swear to Бог, if you don’t start talk--” 

“Fine. You want the truth?” 

You suddenly felt angry at her for some reason. You knew all she wanted to do was help, but sometimes she pushed too far, and after an already tough day of work, your tired brain clearly couldn’t handle more terrible lying.

“Please, Y/N. It’s about fucking time.” 

Her tone didn’t waver. Clearly she was ready to go toe-to-toe with you about getting your feelings out.

You sucked in a breath before launching into your emotionally charged rant.

“I moved here seven months ago and I feel just as lost if not more so than when I first arrived.”

You gripped your hands against the edge of the counter as you felt a deep anger boil up to the forefront of your mind. Anger at Natasha, for forcing confrontation on you, but mostly anger at yourself for more reasons than you could think of at the moment.

“I’m constantly overwhelmed with a job I am completely underqualified for. I can barely pay my bills or groceries, let alone the fucking expensive, uncomfortable skirts and blouses and heels I have to wear to my job because my boss insists ‘I try my best to look decent’,” you ticked off on your fingers.  
“I feel exhausted every damn day I come home because I work 12 hours a shift to live in the city of my dreams, which is a dream that has quickly died, I might add. Yet, I can’t quit and go home because I don’t have one anymore,” your voice cracked.  
“My family is gone and I’m too busy, too tired, and too pathetic to even try to make friends.”

Tears had begun to stream down your heated cheeks. You had quickly stopped shouting and had mostly lost your temper. You internally laughed at yourself for already getting worn out after barely 40 seconds of a heated outburst.

Your voice took on a self-deprecating, solemn tone.

“It’s a wonder and a mystery to me why you care and why you force yourself to be around me, because if I were you I sure as hell wouldn’t spend my precious free time with someone so pathetic.”

You cast your eyes back down to the dragons. A reminder of the much more bubbly and carefree person you had been when you received them as a gift from your sister.

“Y/N, I had no idea--” Natasha began, but you quickly interrupted her.

“No, don’t. Don’t pity me. As if I don’t already fucking hate myself enough, I cannot allow you to pity me. I’m not your burden.”

You sniffled and used the sleeve of your sweatshirt to swipe at your runny nose. You still hadn’t looked up, not wanting to see the look of disappointment likely present on Natasha’s pretty face.

Natasha was shocked. The sweet, loving person she had grown so close to these past few months was breaking before her. She immediately felt extremely guilty for forcing you to share this with her, but even more guilty for not figuring this out on her own. Some spy she is. She fretted over how to best help you in that exact moment. 

You both kept quiet for the next few moments. You sniffled again and folded your arms before you spoke your next few words.

“I thought moving here would take away the loneliness I felt back home. Being away from my small town and all the familiar, concerned faces seemed like the best idea. I could finally move to New York and be surrounded by opportunities and new people, but--”

Your voice broke again.

“Nat, I have never felt more alone,” you paused with a deep sigh. “I think I’m going to move back home.”

You were suddenly yanked into a bone-crushing hug from Natasha. You tried to fight it for a second, desperate to not feel anymore guilty about her pity, but her strong arms pressed your chests together as her hand forced your head onto her shoulder. 

“Пчелка, hush.”

You burst into a sob at the nickname she had given to you when you first met: little bee.

“You are not alone. You will never be alone, Y/N. I am so sorry I haven’t been there for you, when you clearly needed it. I feel so stupid for not realizing sooner,” Natasha swore under breath. 

“No, Nat. Don’t apologize. I’m just being dumb and over emotional.” You tried to pull back from the embrace, but Natasha only squeezed you tighter.

“No, dove, you aren’t being dumb. I should’ve been a better friend. But I’m here now and I am going to help you, alright? And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Natasha leaned back and brushed the tears from your cheeks and tucked loose hair behind your ears.

“I love you, Y/N. You are one of my best friends and you are so important to me. I’m not going to let you leave New York because you belong here. I know it’s been more than tough being here, and your boss is a prick that needs to die, but don’t leave just yet. I need and want you here. Plus, I’ve told you before, if you ever need to borrow some money I am more than willing to give some to you.”

Natasha held you firmly around the waist as she explained that she wasn’t going to give up on you just because you had given up on yourself. 

“Thanks, Nat, but I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t see my situation getting any better and--” you were stopped with a finger to your lips.

“Babe, I’m going to help you. But first, you’ve had a long day, and I want to see your beautiful face without tear tracks all over it. So, I want you to hop in the shower while I order us some food and then we’ll start on a plan to make New York your home.”

You offered her a weak smile before you nodded and headed to the bathroom. Peanut had hopped up on the barstool next to Natasha, patiently waiting for her to turn her attention to him. 

As you stood in the hot water with a palm pressed to the cool tile, you thought over everything Natasha had said. You felt much better knowing that she seemed to value you as a friend and you were already feeling much better now that you had told her the truth, at least some of it. 

You decided then and there that you were going to throw yourself into Natasha’s plans and really work on making yourself into the person you had always dreamed you would be as a New Yorker.


	2. Shopping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we see a little more of the friendship dynamic between Natasha and the reader.  
> Пчелка: "bee" (pchelka)  
> The nickname will be explained a little later on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is a little cheesy, but I wanted to have something a little more lighthearted and fun because I made the next chapter kinda dark...whoops! So we have our first shopping trip! Yes, I said first because I will likely write another one. I like when characters get free clothes (it's definitely not because I am living vicariously through the character). Anyway, please let me know what you think!

After your shower, you walked into your living room where Natasha was setting out containers of Chinese food. Peanut had curled himself on his favorite chair in the apartment.

You sighed wistfully, and Natasha said, “I know, I know, you’re trying to eat healthier, but hey! I got vegetable lo mein, which I would argue is healthy--oof!”

Right as she stood up with a pair of chopsticks in her hand, you had crashed into her with a fierce hug of gratitude. 

“Thank you, Natasha,” you whispered into her hair.

“Пчелка, everyone deserves a little comfort food when they’re feeling down.” She wrapped her arms around you and pet your wet hair gently. 

“No, I mean thank you for everything. For being my friend-- more than a friend -- to me.” You had pulled away some to look her in the face. 

She smiled and pulled you back into a quick embrace.

“Anytime Пчелка. I mean it. I’m here for you.” With one last squeeze she let you go so you could both eat.

You blushed and nodded your head at the sentiment. You knew the world saw Natasha as a hero as much as you did, but you didn’t think they would ever see who she really was: a passionate and caring friend. 

You sat down on the floor between your couch and coffee table and unsnapped a pair of chopsticks to begin eating. 

For the rest of the night, the two of you just sat and spoke of lighthearted subjects. Eventually you had moved to the couch and shared a bottle of wine while watching some silly baking competition show. 

Before you knew it, you had fallen asleep. Natasha smiled softly to herself before giving you a kiss on the cheek goodnight and carefully slipping out into the night. 

//

The next morning you awoke to the chirping of your phone. You groaned and stretched before blindly slapping the coffee table for your phone. 

Groggily, you saw that Natasha was calling.

“Hello?”

“Get up. Get dressed. I’m taking you shopping.” Natasha stated matter-of-factly.

“What? Nat, no, I hate shopping.” You rubbed your eyes and sat up. 

“Too bad. I want to see you in something other than your work outfit or sweatpants. Not that they don’t do wonders for that ass of yours.”

“Natasha!” You gasped, shocked at her bluntness.

A chuckle floated through the phone and you blushed as you pictured Natasha’s smirk. 

“Come on, girly. It’s my treat.”

“Fine. I’ll get ready, but I'm not going to enjoy it.” You felt anxious already, knowing Natasha would most certainly push you out of your comfort zone. 

“Yes, alright. I’ll be at your building in 15 so be ready.” She abruptly hung up and you scrambled to get ready for what would surely be an interesting day.

//

“I can’t wear this!” You whispered in outrage. 

Natasha stood across from you in the dressing room waiting area with her arm outstretched, a tight, black dress dangling from her fingers. 

“Come on. Just try it on for me? You don’t have to get it.” She pleaded with you, a pout on her full lips. 

You huffed and fought with yourself. On the one hand, it was a beautiful cocktail dress. On the other hand, you weren’t sure it would fit and you doubted it would look nearly as flattering on you as it was supposed to be. 

“(Y/n), please try it on? Trust me you’re gonna look good.” Natasha looked at you with an open and honest face.

“Ok.” You whispered.  
You grabbed it and swiftly fled to the dressing room. You tried not to look at yourself as you undressed and pulled the dress on. You straightened it a bit before turning to look in the mirror. 

You gave a little gasp.

It was rather simple, but both sexy and somehow elegant. The velvety, black fabric stopped at your mid thigh and hugged your plump skin. It tightened at your waist, and made you appear curvier in a more pronounced way than you expected. The dress also had a built in bra that pushed your breasts up and accentuated the curves at the top. The sleeves began at the edges of your shoulders, but instead of the same fabric it changed into a sheer black mesh that fell to your wrists. The mesh sleeves had a hint of sparkle to them, and you knew that in the right light the whole dress would give a faint shimmer. 

You were shocked at how you looked. You had thrown your hair into a messy bun for the long day of shopping, so the lack of hair on your shoulders really showed off your neck and collar bones. You turned this way and that, admiring your form. Natasha suddenly coughed, causing you to jump.

“Come out already and let me see,” she said impatiently.

You took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the curtain. 

Natasha whistled lowly as she took you in. 

“I am a fucking genius. And you are my masterpiece.” She grinned at you.

You laughed and shook your head.

“Natasha, it's beautiful, but I can’t afford it right now. Or ever,” you gave her a sheepish smile and turned back to the dressing room to take it off. 

She grabbed your arm and turned you to face her again.

“Пчелка, you look amazing in this dress. It was made for you,” She looked at you earnestly.

You shook your head, “Ha, thank you, but really. I can’t get it. Thank you for picking it out. You really are a genius.” You gave her a big smile and went into the dressing room. 

You quickly changed out of the dress and back into your jeans, shirt and jacket. You slipped your sneakers on and grabbed the dress to put back. 

Natasha wasn’t where you had left her, so you walked around the store in search of her.

You found her at the front with the cashier, speaking quietly. She clearly heard you approach because she quickly turned around, looped her arm through yours and led you to the doors.

“Let’s go, Пчелка.”

“Oh--alright.” You had learned quickly enough not to question Natasha when she was obviously determined. 

About five hours later, the two of you fell through your apartment door with armfuls of bags and boxes. Most of it belonged to Natasha, but you had splurged and bought yourself a few new items for work and a new pack of underwear you desperately needed. 

Natasha had tried to convince you to at least look at the lingerie, but you had flushed bright red and said that you weren’t interested. You had, however, lingered, to look at a pale lavender set with embroidered flowers and butterflies on it. It came with a pair of thigh-high stockings and a sheer robe of the same design. 

Just as you began cooking dinner for the two of you, Natasha got a call and her demeanor quickly turned serious. You stopped and waited for her call to end. 

“I have to go. Duty calls,” she said with a sigh. 

“Oh, well be safe.” You always worried about her, though you knew she could handle herself.

She gave you a hug and left, with a promise to come back and pick up her clothes at a later date. 

You didn’t hear from her for a few days, but you went ahead and texted her to inform her you had placed her items on your kitchen table so that she could grab them at any time. She had a key to your apartment, so you figured it would be easier than planning a time for her to come by.

Halfway through the week, she responded with a text that read “Those aren’t mine”.

Your stomach filled with dread with that, and you rushed through your work to get home as soon as possible. 

Sure enough, there was a note in one of the bags that said:

Пчелка  
You work too damn hard not to treat yourself once in a while, and since you won’t do it yourself, these are my treat.  
XOXO

You were going to kill her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we ended on a kind of funny note, but be warned the next chapter is dark.


	3. сестра

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You surprise Natasha with your baked treats, and she opens up to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title means 'sister' in Russian according to Google. I will warn again that this chapter is dark and pretty sad. I tried to make it short, but I want it to be clear that Natasha cares a whole freakin' lot about our dear reader. We learn that the feeling is mutual, but I won't quite reveal all the reasons why just yet. The next chapter will be a flashback, I think. So stay tuned!  
> Quick note: I think I am going to make reader a little less sweet. Or at least a little more feisty and rambunctious. Right now she's sounding too innocent, and I'd rather her sound inexperienced. That way she can be snarkier and more sarcastic in the future.

Not only did the boxes and bags contain the little dress you had tried on, but the set of lingerie you had been ogling and dozens of other items you would never have bought for yourself. You admitted to yourself that they perfectly matched your idealized style, with Natasha’s flare for dramatics. 

For about forty-five minutes you sorted through the items to find a few more dresses, some fancier than others, some skirts and blouses, a pair of delicate heels, and another piece of lingerie that was totally your style. Peanut hadd already acquainted himself with the tissue paper and bags, and was currently squished into one of the box lids. His chubby little body overflowing the thin cardboard box.

You were completely shocked, and while you definitely were excited to try everything on you couldn’t help but feel extreme guilt for allowing Natasha to spend what was probably a small fortune on clothes for you. 

You carefully placed everything back in its box or bag, before you angrily grabbed your phone and stabbed the call button next to Natasha’s name. 

“Yes?” She said drily.

“You little sneak! I can’t believe you did this! There’s no way I can accept this, I’m going to take it all back, so give me the receipts or I’ll-I’ll--” You practically screamed at her.

“You’ll what, Пчелка?” She chuckled. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried, but I like it when you get feisty. Look, you’re not taking anything back, and before you ask no, you can’t pay me back either.”

“Natasha, it’s too much. I can’t accept it.” You sighed, already knowing Natasha would refuse you.

“Too bad. You’re keeping all of it.” She replied firmly.

“Can I at least give you something in return?” You questioned hopefully.

“Fine. Make me some of those brownies of yours and I’ll come by this Saturday. We can catch up on that show you like.” 

You squealed in happiness and could hear the smile in her voice when Natasha chuckled and bid you goodnight. 

You said goodnight and giggled to yourself as you looked at the pile of gifted clothes. For the rest of the evening, while you put your new items away, you made a plan of how to pay Natasha back for her generous gift besides some measly brownies.

The following day after work, you headed to the grocery store with a long list of ingredients. You only had two days until Saturday to prepare a feast of desserts for Natasha, and boy did you have a feast planned. 

You had decided that in addition to the brownies Natasha loved, you were going to make her something special. Something that hopefully reminded her of home. 

You first decided to make some of the treats you knew were her favorites, like peanut butter brownies and pumpkin bread. Both of which were easier to make and would be just as good a couple days after being baked. 

On your lunch break during work, you had done some research into classic Russian desserts and came up with a few recipes you thought were doable in your spare time. So on Saturday morning, you got up early to begin. 

You started out by making a batch of pryaniki, or peppermint spice cakes that are in the shape of a ball. Then, you made Russian tea cakes and a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. Finally, with a few hours to spare, you delved into making ptichye moloko, which proved to be very difficult but immensely satisfying as you finished frosting the final decorations on the cake. 

Once you had finished, you swiped the back of your hand across your brow and glanced at the clock. You had just enough time to shower, change clothes, and lay out all the desserts for Natasha. 

As you waited for Natasha to arrive, you felt wondrously giddy and proud. You know that baking her some treats didn’t make up for all the money she spent on you, but you knew that Natasha enjoyed your cooking and you only hoped she would appreciate the thought you put into making her something from her home country. 

You picked up Peanut and gave him a soft squeeze for comfort. He started purring and settled in your arms.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded at your door before Natasha pushed her key into your lock and let herself in. She had a habit of letting herself into your apartment, which you had quickly gotten used to. 

“Пчелка, I brought a bottle of dessert wine, like you asked but--” she stopped mid sentence as she took in the sight of your small kitchen table being completely covered in sweets. 

“(Y/n), Jesus Christ, what did you do? I asked for some brownies, not an entire bakery.” Even though she sounded incredulous, you laughed at her tone and beckoned for her to come closer to the table.

“I wanted to properly thank you for your gift, and since you won’t let me pay you I thought I would do something extra special for a deserving lady such as yourself.” You beamed at Natasha as her eyes hungrily glanced all around the table.

“Пчелка, did you make ptichye moloko?” She quietly whispered. 

Your mood quickly soured as you saw the look on her face and heard her quiet tone. You placed Peanut on the floor and wrung your hands.  
“Uh, yeah. I thought it might be nice to have a taste of home. I didn’t mean to--I’m so sorry if I offended you.” You scrambled to apologize as your brain screamed at you that you were an idiot for bringing up memories of the place where she was forced to become an assassin.

You never talked about it, but you knew as much as anyone else did about the circumstances in which Natasha became the hero she is today. 

At the sound of your apology, Natasha quickly glanced at your face and stared into your eyes. You flushed under gaze, as you couldn’t read her thoughts. Was she mad at you? 

Suddenly you were pulled into one of her impossibly tight embraces. You hesitated before wrapping your arms around Natasha and hugged her back. 

“Пчелка, you have no idea...” she whispered. You felt her quick breathing and after a minute of hugging, you felt the sleeve of your shirt get a little damp. 

You mentally gasped. Natasha Romanoff was crying on your shoulder. The freaking Black Widow was crying because you had baked her a few treats. 

Unbeknownst to you, Natasha had just come home from a particularly rough mission that put her in a bit of a dark headspace. Your show of gratitude sent her over the edge of her own capacity to contain her emotions, which is something that never happened. 

You opened your mouth to apologize again, when Natasha pulled back and grasped her hands. 

Your heart wanted to break at seeing the strongest person you knew in tears.

“My Пчелка. This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me. Ever,” she squeezed your hands.

You couldn’t believe no one had ever given Natasha a gift like this before. 

“I just wanted to give you something special, since you are constantly making me feel special for no reason.” You gave her a shy smile and squeezed her hands back. 

“No, Пчелка. You are special. Don’t let anyone tell you different,” she paused to take a breath. 

“We are sisters, you and I. And I know I don’t always make it obvious, but you mean the world to me. You are my best friend in this world, and the best part about my job is knowing that it’s keeping you and people like you safe.”

You had started crying at some point and felt overwhelmed with emotions you didn’t know Natasha had for you. You felt immense relief to know that she felt just as close of a bond to you as you did to her. It really did feel like the two of you were sisters. She knew you so well and was always a sense of comfort and stability when your life regularly felt like it was going to fall apart at any moment. Not to mention, she filled a large portion of your heart that felt empty from the loss of your older sister a long time ago. 

“I don’t know what to say, Nat. I’ve never heard you speak like that before, let alone cry in front of me.” Both of you let out a wet laugh at that. 

“I know. I’m not one to usually show my emotions, but all this,” she gestured to the deserts. “This is incredibly kind and thoughtful.”

She turned back to face you with a wistful look on her face. Her mouth tilted into a small smile.

“You remind me so much of someone I lost a long time ago.” She looked at your clasped hands.

“Tell me about them?” You questioned.

Natasha hesitated, but agreed.

For the rest of the evening, the two of you sat at your kitchen table, pigging out on the sweets as she told more about her life than you had ever hoped you would hear. She left out most of her life as an assassin and the training she had as a girl, but she told you all of the happy memories she could remember about growing up in Russia. She told you about one girl in particular, someone who would’ve been your age by now, who she felt like an older sister to. Her name was Yelina. The stories Natasha shared with you about Yelina made you laugh with joy. Turns out the two of you really did sound similar. The little girl was very kind, sweet, and gentle, but had a feisty side to her that pushed Natasha to act as her protective older sister.

Natasha then told you that Yelina had also been recruited into the Red Room. At some point, sensing that Yelina was a weakness for Natasha, the head teacher Madame B. Taskmaster chose Yelina and Natasha as sparring partners. They both refused to fight, but they were tortured and brainwashed before they were forced to spar again. Natasha had quickly dominated the younger girl, and as instructed by the Madame, she snapped her neck, killing Yelina instantly.

You were silently sobbing as you watched Natasha. Her eyes had gone blank, her demeanor cold as she told you about Yelina. You didn't make a sound because you didn’t want to interrupt Natasha, but you were itching to comfort her. You knew by her expression that that wasn’t what she needed right now. So you kept your distance. 

After a few minutes of silence, Natasha finally spoke again.

“I wanted you to know, Пчелка, that I need you as much as you need me. You aren’t a replacement, in any way, but after that happened I didn’t let myself be close with anyone for a long time. And until I met you, I never thought I could have a sister again.” She was looking at you now with a facial expression you couldn’t quite place.

“You have me Natasha. I’m glad you told me, and I am so lucky to have you in my life. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have made it out here if I hadn’t met you.” You somehow managed to speak without sobbing again.

“You would have made it, Пчелка. You’re tough. A lot tougher than you know, but I’m glad you’re in my life, too. I think we make a pretty good team, hm?” She smiled at you now.

You let out a watery laugh and reached out your hand. She took it instantly and the two of you looked at each other in a new light as you both realized that you weren’t alone in this world. You could always rely on each other for support and guidance. 

It felt wonderful to know that Natasha thought you were strong enough to rely on. After so many years of feeling helpless, alone, and scared, moving to the city and meeting Natasha had certainly changed that outlook. Not that you weren’t still scared. You were still terrified, especially after hearing a story from Natasha’s life. You still had a hard time accepting the fact that the world could contain such evil and darkness, even after experiencing it firsthand. 

Not just relying on someone, but having someone rely on you again boosted your confidence substantially. You felt even more inclined to protect and care for Natasha now that you knew you were like sisters to one another, and you knew she felt the same. 

Natasha fell asleep on your couch that night. Cried out and full of sugar, you knew it would be a while before you could fall asleep. You sat on the couch, her feet on your lap covered in a blanket, as you stared at the fake fireplace across from you in contemplation. You were thinking about the first time you had met the Black Widow, and how lucky you had felt when she scooped you up and decided to care for you. 

That was reason enough to stay in the city. For your sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!  
> P.S. This story will likely get more sad, but I want it to get happier too! It will hopefully be pretty balanced.


	4. Black Widow and the Busy Bee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a flashback, we see how the Black Widow met the reader.   
> WARNING: violence, mugging, slight gore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short, but I just wanted to recount a tale of how Natasha and reader met. The next chapter will continue the flashback.

Several years earlier…

You sighed deeply and checked your phone. The little clock in the corner told you it was half past three in the morning. You looked around the empty bar and surmised that you had done a good enough job of cleaning to warrant clocking out half an hour early. 

You put away the cleaning supplies, untied your apron and headed to the back to clock out and grab your purse and jacket. 

After closing up the bar, you check the time again. You figured you should probably call an Uber, but you really didn’t have the money for it if you wanted to have enough money for groceries next week. Taking a deep breath, you lifted your aching feet to start the twenty-five minute walk to the subway station.

You estimated that by the time you got home, you’d have a couple of hours to sleep before you had to be up for your office job. You yawned and thought about your warm bed in your apartment and Peanut curled up at the foot of it.

Halfway to the station you jumped at a noise coming from an alley just ahead of you. You stopped in your tracks for a minute to listen. After hearing nothing, you trudged forward figuring there were just some raccoons digging through the dumpster. 

As soon as you stepped out in front of the entrance to the alley, a large hand grabbed the hood of your jacket and yanked you into the alley. You screamed as your hands flew to the arm now encircled around your neck. The hand smashed itself against your hand as you kicked and screamed through copper-smelling fingers. A sharp punch to your gut had you gasping for air instead of screaming, the wind knocked out of you. You couldn’t understand what was happening other than the fact that you were being attacked. 

The hands around your mouth and neck grasped your arms and shoved them behind your back. You started screaming again as one of the attackers ripped your purse from your shoulder. 

“Shut up bitch!” A harsh voice spit into your ear. 

“Do you have it? Let’s go!” Another voice yelled.

The man holding you shoved you forward, but instead of falling down you collided into the other man. He was brandishing a knife and your eyes widened as he angled it towards your stomach. 

Suddenly, a force out of nowhere kicked you in the side, the knife skidded across your stomach leaving a long, but mostly shallow gash. You fell hard onto the ground, scrambling away from the men. You hid behind one of the dumpsters and clutched your stomach. 

You covered your ears as soon as you heard a bone crack and the blood-curdling scream of one of the men who had attacked you. You had no clue how long it lasted, but a clearly powerful individual had knocked the two men unconscious extremely quickly with barely any sound other than the scream. 

After a moment of silence, you registered the fact that you were crying. Your ears were ringing and your vision tunneling with a halo of deep red stepped in front of the nearest streetlamp. Just before you blacked out you heard a smooth voice say something to you. 

You felt yourself being lifted into the air. A surge of adrenaline and pure fear rushed through your body. You jerked out of the person’s grip and fell to the ground again, banging your head on the edge of the dumpster.

“Stop! I’m here to help you.” The red halo held its hands up to calm you down. 

“Please! Don’t hurt me.” You started to sob and hyperventilate. 

“No, no I won’t. I’m just going to give you back your purse, alright?” She lifted your bag in front of you. She was still speaking slowly and calmly.

You attempted to grasp it, but you winced as it caused you to flex your stomach, which had been steadily bleeding for some time. 

The woman glanced down. “Shit. I need to get you to a hospital, ok? I promise I’m not gonna hurt you, just let me help you.”

She didn’t wait for a response before carefully picking you up as you clutched your bag. 

Your eyes were beginning to flutter and you were taking shallow breaths. 

“Keep those eyes open for me, ok? Don’t go to sleep yet.” She was breathing heavily as she all but ran down the street with you in her arms. 

“I...I can’t…” You attempted.

“What is it? Keep talking, don’t fall asleep.” She had set you down on something soft.

“I need to go...I’m…gonna be late...for work…” You breathed out slowly. 

The woman gave a small chuckle and said, “Don’t worry, work can wait. First I need to get you to a hospital.”

“But...I’ll be behind..in my work…” You finally let your eyes shut.

“It’s gonna be okay, busy bee. I’m gonna make sure you're okay.” Her voice faded away as everything went black.


	5. Black Widow and the Busy Bee Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader wakes up in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two to the flashback!

The next day you awoke to the sound of machines beeping and a bright light. You struggled to open your eyes, but managed it to take in your surroundings. You were obviously in a hospital. The lights were dimmed except for the bright light of the hallway seeping through the doorway across from your bed. 

You couldn’t remember much at the moment, with a pounding headache and a deep ache all over your body. 

You laid still for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling as you tried to remember what had happened to you last night. You remember walking to the subway station, but everything is fuzzy after that. 

A little bit later, a nurse comes in to check on you.

“Oh! Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling sweetie?” Her voice was soft and sweet as she began checking your vitals and read one of the screens in front of her. She jotted something down on a clipboard before turning to you.

“I’m not sure. Everything hurts,” you choked out. Your throat felt extremely dry and scratchy. 

“Hm, I bet. You had a rough night, sweetheart. Press that button there if your stomach starts to hurt, and I’ll be right back with the doctor.” With that she patted your hand and left the room. 

My stomach? You thought. What’s wrong with my stomach?

You slowly lifted your head and looked at your stomach. You could tell there was a bit of a lump under your hospital gown, but you felt too weak and anxious to attempt actually taking a look at it. 

You looked back up at the ceiling. You were scared. 

Thankfully, the nurse returned with the doctor before your thoughts could run rampant any further. 

“Hello there, (Y/n). How are we doing today?” The doctor hadn’t looked up from his clipboard since walking in the room. 

“Um, I don’t know. Okay, I guess. What’s wrong with my stomach?” Your voice wavered as you mentally prepared yourself for the doctor’s response.

The doctor did look up at that.  
“You don’t remember what happened last night?” His eyes were focused on yours, which made you even more anxious.

“I-I remember walking home from work, b-but after that...I can’t remember anything.” You tried to school your features from looking as terrified as you felt. You knew that the fact you couldn’t remember anything about last night was a bad sign. 

“Hm, well let's take a look at you and see what’s going on.” For the next few minutes the nurse and the doctor moved around the bed and checked you over. 

“Well, I would wager that the bump on your head has had more of an effect on you than we originally thought. Though I’m not too worried about it, since you are fully conscious right now. You are likely experiencing post-traumatic amnesia, and it could be a while before you regain your memories from last night. Now, I have other patients to check on but Nurse Milly here is the best, so no worries.” The doctor gave you a brief smile before quickly leaving the room.

Despite the doctor’s lazy reassurance, you were feeling very worried. Post-traumatic amnesia did not sound good, and you wanted to know what the hell was wrong with your stomach. 

Nurse Milly began raising your bed into a sitting position. You hissed when the movement caused an intense pinching feeling in your belly. 

“Ooh, startin’ to feel it now? Go ahead and press that button, sweetie, and it will feel better.” Nurse Milly started fiddling with other things in the room as you searched for the button and pressed it. 

“Uh, Nurse Milly?” Your sore throat didn’t allow you to speak much above a whisper.

“Mmhm?” Was the only response you received.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Oh, sweetheart. I’m not sure. You came in early this morning, unconscious. You were rushed to the ER where the doctors cleaned and stitched up your stomach. A woman had brought you in. Oh! She said she would return soon to check on you.” Nurse Milly had crossed her hands in front of her and tilted her head with a smile on her face as she stared down at you.

“Other than that, I really don’t know what happened to you. Hopefully your friend will know more. Now, you just relax that pretty head of yours while I run down to the cafeteria and see if I can’t scrounge up some lunch for you.” She gave you another smile before she left the room once again. 

You tried to rest, but your mind was moving rapidly trying to understand and remember what happened to you. Something bad enough to warrant your rather serious visit to the hospital.  
You felt yourself begin to panic as visions of horrible things that might have happened to you flashed through your head. Just as your eyes began to water, a shadow overtook you. You looked up to the doorway and saw a woman with deep, auburn hair looking down at you.

She smiled and said, “Hey there, little bee.”

Your eyebrows pinched together as you were abruptly bombarded with a memory of this woman carrying you while speaking with a gentle voice. Your head ached as it searched desperately for the rest of the memory, but all you could remember was her face and the feeling of being carried. 

“I-I remember you.” You whispered.

She huffed a laugh. “I should hope so, Пчелка.” She walked further into the room until she was next to you.

“Are you the one who brought me to the hospital last night?” You clutched at your blanket as you waited for her response.

“Yes, I did.” She glanced at your chart. “Ah, I see. You don’t remember what happened. Probably for the best, Пчелка.”

“No, I--please. If you know what happened to me, please tell me. I want to know,” you asked her desperately.

She looked over you before settling on your face. She looked hesitant, but pulled a chair up to your bed and perched at the edge of it.

She recounted the events of last night to you. By the end of it you were silently crying, completely shocked at the fact that you had almost died. 

The woman gave you a few minutes to take the information in, all the while staring carefully at your face. 

You took a shaky breath. “Thank you, ma’am. You saved my life.”

“Don’t thank me, Пчелка. I let you get hurt. Coming to check on you isn’t exactly part of my job description, but neither was letting you get hurt. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough. I should’ve been able to prevent it, but I was too slow--”

You interrupted her apology by reaching out and touching her hand. She quickly glanced down at both of your hands before looking back at your face, which was now smiling, albeit feebly. 

“It’s alright. I would have died if you hadn’t helped. So thank you.” You gave her hand a squeeze.

She stared at you for a few moments. You couldn’t read her face, and despite the fact she was a complete stranger to you, you felt comfortable and safe next to her. After all, the woman had saved your life. 

“What’s your name, Пчелка?” She asked quietly.

You told her your name before asking for hers.

“I’m Natasha.” She squeezed your hand back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. :)


	6. Late Night With Papa Bear Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a segment with Papa Bear Tony! And a little more details about reader as a character. I always love the idea of Tony being the obnoxious-dad type to all of the Avengers

The morning after Natasha had opened up to you was a surprisingly cheery one. You could tell immediately that a weight had been lifted off her chest, and she seemed well-rested and happy.

Since neither of you had work that day, the two of you spent a lazy Sunday together watching reruns of your favorite shows and snacking on the desserts you had made. Peanut was sitting in front of the fake fireplace, his paws stretched out as he watched the two of you laugh and joke with one another. 

By the time Natasha left, you were feeling full and content. After a warm bath, you snuggled into bed with Peanut and fell into a dreamless sleep. 

//

Natasha’s POV:

Natasha waited outside of your building until she saw the lights in your apartment turn off. She waited an extra moment before climbing onto her bike, fastening her helmet, and turning the engine on. 

As she wove through the streets of the Bronx, headed to the tower in Midtown Manhattan, she thought about your conversation from earlier in the day. She had never told anyone that story before, but for some reason she felt like it was something you needed to know. 

Natasha rarely let herself get close to anyone. She had gotten better at it after a few years with the Avengers, but even then she mostly kept to herself. In fact, she hadn’t told any of the Avengers about you. In the beginning, they would ask questions about where she was sneaking off to in between missions, but even Tony stopped bringing it up after a while. 

It’s not that she didn’t want you to meet them. It was the opposite actually. Sometimes she felt desperate to join the two halves of her family together, but always retreated from that idea the more she thought about it. You were so delicate and innocent. She would never forgive herself if something happened to you. 

After that day in the hospital, Natasha realized there was something special about you. It wasn’t until you finally revealed that you figured out Natasha was the Black Widow that she decided to look out for you . You reminded her so much of Yelina, and in many ways you were a pure form of redemption for Natasha. If she could protect you and make your life okay, it would make up for what happened with Yelina. You made Natasha feel less guilty about what happened, and now that you knew you helped reassure her that it wasn’t her fault. It was a terrible thing, but it wasn’t Natasha’s fault. 

That wasn’t the only reason Natasha was drawn to you, however. Despite your friendly and sometimes shy demeanor, you were wickedly funny and a big nerd. Natasha teased you for it, but secretly loved when you would force her to watch your favorite shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender. It made Natasha hopeful to see someone who had a hard life maintain their childlike innocence. Plus, you were beautiful and kind to your very core. That was a big reason for why Natasha felt so protective of you. She was convinced within moments of meeting you that you were the type to rescue alley cats and feed the homeless people near your apartment.

In fact, the first time Natasha met Peanut you told her that you had found him in the alley next to the first apartment you lived in when you moved to New York. He was scared and dirty, but for almost two weeks you would bring him food and water until you could coax him out enough to bring inside. Natasha didn’t trust the cat at first, since it wouldn’t stop hissing at her, but once she heard how you got him it made sense. Peanut was protective of you just as much, if not more, than Natasha. After that had been realized, she had quickly bonded with the ball of fluff. Now he was her favorite part about your apartment. 

For all of your kindness, you also had a mean feisty streak. You had a short temper when you were hungry, and Natasha loved when you would snap at her to get out of your way when you needed to eat. It was adorably entertaining. You were also completely dependable. You were always there for her, which wasn't often or even sometimes with Natasha, but your apartment was usually the first place Natasha wanted to be at after missions. Your tendencies to enjoy the nerdier sides of life included your incredible intelligence. Natasha treasured the moments of the two of you debating complex feminist theory in between making an ugly pile cake look like Shrek. 

Natasha guided her bike into its parking spot before swinging her leg off the seat and heading to the elevator. She stifled a yawn and punched the button for the common room floor before leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. 

When the doors opened she pushed herself up and made a beeline to the small bar where she poured herself a shot of vodka and gulped it down. 

“What are you creeping on me for this time, Tony?” She said nonchalantly to the open air. 

Natasha heard a chuckle before she heard the footsteps of Tony make his way behind the bar and in front of her. 

“Couldn’t sleep. But now I’m wondering what you’re doing back so late.”

He had a glass of bourbon in his hand and a pair of blue sunglasses were perched on his nose.  
“It’s 10:30. Not exactly late by either of our standards,” Natasha scoffed. 

Tony shrugged before pouring her another shot of vodka.

“No, I suppose not. But, I’m curious. Where do you sneak off to so often? You’ve been gone for longer periods of time this past couple weeks and I want to know why.” Tony stated and met Natasha’s gaze.

Natasha sighed and gulped her second shot before turning the glass over on the counter. She leaned against the edge of it and crossed her arms, fixating a glare at the man across from her. 

“Thought you had dropped this, Tony.” Her tone was clearly annoyed, but that had never stopped him before from pressing someone’s buttons. 

“Hm, I thought so too. But I’m beginning to worry that this secret your keeping is a lot more important than you make it out to be. Nearly all of your time that you don’t spend training or on missions is spent somewhere else, and I want you to tell me where. Or with who,” Tony drank from his own glass before setting it down and resting hands on the edge of the bar. He leaned in and met Natasha’s gaze with his own glare. 

“Tony, I’m only going to say this once: back off.” At that Natasha stood up straight and turned herself around. 

“Fine. Guess I’ll just have to go to the Bronx myself,” Tony said airily. 

In the blink of an eye, Natasha had slammed Tony against the bar with one arm pressed across his chest as the other crackled with electricity from her Black Widow Bite bracelets Tony had made for her. He grabbed her forearm, but didn’t push her off of him. 

“You’ve been following me?! What the fuck, Tony?!” Natasha screamed at him and pressed harder into his chest. 

“Calm down! I’m not following you. Friday picked you up on a few different security cameras in the Bronx and alerted me. I wanted to make sure you weren’t in trouble since you’ve been so damn invasive from me and the rest of the team,” Tony took a breath and lowered his voice. “We’re worried about you, Agent Romanoff. Would have brought this up a lot sooner, if you didn’t look so relaxed every time you come back from one your secret little trips.” Tony finished with a smirk and lowered his hands from her arm.

Natasha raised an eyebrow and lowered her arm with the bracelet before releasing the pressure she had put on his chest. 

“Do not follow me again. Do not fuck around searching for whatever it is you think I’m doing because it is none of your concern. I mean it, Tony. Back off,” she hissed.

She sighed deeply before leaning back and crossing her arms again. 

He gave her a look of disbelief and sipped at his bourbon. 

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine,” she breathed out before turning once again to the elevator. 

“Come on, Romanoff. You can’t react like that and then just walk away! Tell me who you’re seeing. I promise I won’t tell anybody!” Tony sang and skipped after her, the mood completely changing as he realized that he was right and wherever Natasha was going, it was to see someone. 

Natasha snorted, “You couldn’t keep that promise if you tried.”

“Hey! Give me a chance. I just want to know your safe,” Tony pleaded.

“I’m always safe, now leave me alone.” Natasha was in the elevator and pressing a button.

“Wait! I’m not done. At least tell me what his name is. Is he hot?” Tony shouted at her just before the doors closed. 

Natasha chuckled to herself as the elevator carried her to her apartment. Tony meant well, but tended to go overboard. 

"What makes you think it's a man?" 

She couldn't help herself. As the elevator doors closed, she watched Tony's face switch from shock to flirtatiously smug. She chuckled to herself. 

Natasha thought to herself that maybe she hadn’t been giving him enough credit. He was as overbearing and protective of the team as she was. Just more showy about it. He hadn’t told anyone, but Natasha knew Tony was constantly keeping tabs on Peter to make sure he was keeping out of trouble. In fact, Natasha didn’t have a single doubt that Tony kept tabs on everybody on the team for the same reason. 

She thought about the different outcomes of letting him meet you. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Well, it would definitely be a bad idea, but not necessarily a dangerous one. 

Guess there was only one way to find out. 

//


	7. Step Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha forces the reader into Step Two of her plan to turn reader's life around.

A couple weeks passed by before you saw Natasha again. You had been busy with a big deadline at work, and Natasha had two back to back missions. 

After working an extra few hours on a Friday night, you practically melted into a hot bath to calm your anxious mind and relax your sore muscles. You had sat at your desk for almost 12 and half hours trying to finish a report your boss hadn’t completed that week. 

Filling out financial reports definitely wasn’t part of your job as secretary and assistant to the regional manager of a small, but successful, company. Yet you found yourself often doing the work of your boss and coworkers because it had been the only decent paying job that stuck with you. 

After being attacked a few years prior, you had lost your day job and working at the bar hadn’t been enough to pay for your apartment. So you worked double shifts until you were hired for this company, which paid you just enough so you’d stay but wasn’t really worth it overall given you worked way too hard for your position. 

Natasha had tried to get you to quit for two years now, and frequently offered to find you positions at one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. offices located throughout New York City. You had refused every time, stating it wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t earn the job yourself. 

Natasha would roll her eyes at you, but she was secretly glad you never took her up on it. It kept you from harm’s way and she thought it was cute you were so stubborn about getting a job yourself.

You rubbed your eyes and noticed your fingers were pruny. Peanut yelled at you from the side of the tub, indicating that you still needed to feed him, and yourself, before you could crash into your bed. 

You got out of the tub and wrapped yourself in a fluffy robe and shoved your feet into your dragon slippers. 

With mostly still-wet hair you heated up some leftovers for yourself and poured some food into Peanut’s bowl. You ate at the island in your kitchen and watched Peanut snarf up most of his kibble like the little gremlin you felt he often was. After the both of you finished, you put your dishes in the dishwasher and headed to the bathroom to finish your bedtime routine. 

After thoroughly exhausting yourself even further, you grabbed Peanut from the floor and hunkered down into the pile of pillows and blankets on your bed. You had barely plugged your phone in before it began to ring loudly, causing you to jump and Peanut to hide under the covers. 

It was Natasha. 

“Don’t make plans tomorrow.”

“What? Why?” You yawned into the phone.

“I want you to meet somebody, but I haven’t decided if they’re worthy enough, yet. So don’t make plans,” she explained matter-of-factly.

“Um, alright then. I’ll just do nothing, as usual. Who is it I may or may not be meeting tomorrow?” You asked somewhat wearily.

“Oh, you’ll see. Or you won’t. Now get some rest, you sound exhausted.” She promptly hung up the phone and you giggled. 

You kind of liked how abrupt Natasha usually was. It was so different from how you normally responded to phone calls that it made you laugh. 

You put your phone back down and curled up around a pillow. Peanut eventually moved out from under the blankets and sat in his favorite spot behind your bent legs. The two of you slept until morning. 

//

Around noon, Natasha called and told you to be ready to go to lunch within the hour. You panicked and immediately sprung up from your position on the couch, where you were totally not watching cartoons, and made your way to the shower. 

A little over an hour later, you climbed into Natasha’s black car.

“Where did you get this thing? I thought you only rode your bike in the city,” you questioned while clicking the seatbelt into place.

“Thought you’d prefer this,” Natasha said with her eyes on the road. 

“So, who am I meeting exactly?” You had started to grow nervous after Natasha called you. As she wove through traffic, you felt your stomach flutter at the likelihood of meeting another Avenger.

Natasha had told you plenty of stories about the other Avengers, but she always changed the subject once you showed interest in meeting them. At first you thought it was because Natasha was embarrassed of you, but the two of you were thick as thieves and you seriously doubted Natasha would feel that way about you. 

“You’ll see when we get there,” Natasha spoke with a smirk.

You knocked the back of your head against the headrest and let out a groan. Natasha knew you had social anxiety, but apparently enjoyed teasing you about it, too. 

Your social anxiety wasn’t that bad, but you tended to blush a lot around people when you felt uncomfortable. Especially around hot and famous people. And men. So basically you were terrified at the prospect of meeting the Aveners. 

You were shaken by your reverie when Natasha spoke.

“So, I’ve decided that in helping you make New York your home I am going to break it down into steps. I know you thrive on your lists,” Natasha said with a small smile.

You blushed and looked at your lap. It was true. Natasha teased you for the lists you seemed to keep on every available surface in your apartment. Lists for groceries, lists for books, lists for any ideas that popped in your head. 

“Now, we’ve already completed step one: updating your wardrobe, but part two of step one is that you continue what we started. At least once a month, I want you to treat yourself. It doesn’t have to be clothes and you don’t have to spend money on it, but I want you to experience more from the city. Even if it’s just a new coffee drink.”

You could do that. You had been wanting to find a cafe you could comfortably call your favorite. You never gave yourself the time to do much exploring, and you felt guilty for not realizing sooner how little of the city you’d seen.

“The next step is right now,” Natasha said as she pulled to the curb in front of a large building. 

You lifted an eyebrow before turning to look out the window. Your jaw dropped as you took in the expanse that was the Avengers tower. It was so tall you couldn’t see the top of it from the car window. 

“Natasha, what are we doing here?” You asked exasperatedly. The butterflies in your stomach started swirling tenfold.

Natasha just smirked and unclicked your seatbelt before exiting the car. She waited for you on the sidewalk as you slowly got out. You tore your eyes from the building to see Natasha with her arms crossed, her weight shifted back onto one leg.

“I am going to bring you upstairs to meet someone and you are going to sit down for an interview with them.” Natasha spoke calmly and quietly, knowing that your reaction would be the opposite.

Your already wide eyes grew wider as you felt your heart plummet into your stomach. 

“WHAT?!! NO! N-no! Why? What do you mean I--I can’t! Look at me! I’m not properly dressed! I’m wearing sandals! I haven’t had any time to prepare and I already have a job!” You were completely shocked and extremely anxious. 

“(Y/n), we both know you hate your job and they treat you horribly. As much as you think it’s not true, you are definitely overqualified for it and would be much better suited for a position more within your interests,” Natasha calmly pointed out. “Not to mention, it means you and I could see each other a lot more.”

Natasha knew how you felt about your job, but she also knew that you could never fully see how much you were being taken advantage of. You were incredibly smart, innovative, and creative, and Natasha just wanted to see you doing something that made you happy. She also missed you when she was on missions or you were working, so in her eyes this would be a win-win situation. 

She had also debated with herself for a while about whether or not she would even bring this up to you. She didn’t want you anywhere near danger, and the Avengers tower was basically a beacon for it. However, she also knew it was the safest place in the city, and a hell of a lot closer to her if you needed help. After speaking with Tony about offering a job to you, he had agreed upon the notion that you would work somewhere out of the way where you wouldn’t distract anyone, given that he had never met you before.

The interview was merely a formality, but Natasha knew you would only accept a position here if you had earned it yourself. So she had asked some of the staff to prepare an interview for you. The plan was to have you work as an assistant of some sort on one of the lower floors. You had barely graduated college due to losing your family, so the HR team for the tower weren’t able to offer you any higher positions. Natasha knew you wouldn’t care, though. 

“Come on. You can thank me later.” With that, Natasha grabbed you by the elbow and not-so-gently pulled you towards the entrance of the building. 

Still shocked, you let her drag you all the way through the front doors until you were stopped in front of an elevator. 

“Natasha, seriously. This isn’t funny! I don’t understand what we’re doing here; there is no way I can get a job working for some of the most important people in this goddamn world!” You whispered with venom at her. 

“Relax. This job is perfect for you. Well, actually there are plenty of other jobs better suited for you, but this what HR offered after extensive discussion,” she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. You shivered at the thought of an ‘extensive discussion’ with Natasha. “Besides, knowing you, you will quickly worm your way into everybody’s hearts and rise through the ranks faster than Agent Hill.”

She flashed you a smile at that. 

“Natasha, please! I’m not cut out for a job here. Everyone is so fancy and smart. What if I mess something important up? They’re just going to fire me immediately!”

She watched you nervously smooth your hands over your skirt. Your big eyes flitted around the large lobby as the both of you waited for the elevator doors to open. When they did, Natasha quickly shoved you in and blocked you from moving past her. 

You attempted to push her out of the way, but you both knew the effort, while cute, was futile. 

You glared at her as she smirked at you.

“I hate you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	8. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader goes to an interview at the Avengers tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry about the inconsistent uploads. I'm about halfway through my midterms (I only have two, but still), and I haven't had much time to plan the next few chapters. But here you go!

“Oh my god. I’m going to throw up.”

The two of you were waiting in the hallway just outside the elevators. Natasha had whispered to a woman at a desk and she fluttered away behind one of the doors lining the hallway. 

You were doubled over, your hands resting heavily on your knees as you attempted to breathe slowly and calm yourself. Natasha scoffed at you and rubbed your back. 

“Ms Romanoff? Mr. Stark and the board will see you now.” The woman smiled brightly before swiftly spinning back to her desk. Her ponytail bounced as she skipped to her desk. 

You turned to Natasha and attempted your best puppy eyes, hoping she would let you leave with your tail between your legs. She just rolled her eyes and pushed you towards a door. 

Once the two of you settled at the end of a ridiculously long conference table, you quickly scanned the face before you and melted in relief when you noticed none of them were Avengers. 

A beautiful, slender woman with brightly painted lips gave you a tight smile and glanced down at your resume for a few seconds. 

“Good afternoon, Miss (L/N). I’ve just been reviewing your resume here,” she paused and took a deep inhale. 

You held your breath and squeezed your eyes shut tightly for a second, waiting for the inevitable disappointment. 

“Looks good enough to me.”

Your eyes flew open and met the woman’s. Instead of a scowl, she now wore a bright red smile. She somehow looked significantly scarier now, but you hoped her smile was genuine. 

“Uh, you’re serious?”

“I do not kid, Miss (L/N). Now, before I offer you the job, tell me. Why do you want this job?” She schooled her face into its previous scowl and folded her hands over your resume. 

You realized your mouth had been open for the past few minutes. After promptly closing your mouth, you took a deep breath and thought about your answer. 

“To be perfectly honest, ma’am, I didn’t want this job,” you squeaked out. 

Her sharp blue eyes narrowed in your direction. 

“I already have a job, and I do well enough there. Natasha is the one who set up this interview with you all today. But I’d be lying if I said I’m not incredibly grateful to her now,” you swallowed and tucked some hair behind your ears. 

“I know I am not what you were looking for in this position, but I appreciate the charade you must be putting on for the both of us,” you gestured to yourself and Natasha. 

Natasha stood a few feet behind you with her arms crossed. Her own eyes narrowed at you as she wondered what the hell you were doing. 

“Natasha knows I would never have gone after a job like this myself, yet she dragged me here anyway,” you could feel Natasha’s slight wince. 

“But now that I am here I can confidently tell you that I do want this job. Not because I hate my current job or because Natasha brought me, but because I now realize that I could be very happy with this position. Even if I’m not exactly qualified, I will more than make up for it in dedication and hard work. Heck, I learned on the fly how to do most of the stuff I do back at my job,” you snorted at your joke. 

You quickly sobered when you realized no one else found it funny, and quickly continued on. 

“What I mean to say is, it has always been a dream of mine to work somewhere like this and for people like you and the Avengers. I want to work here because I’ll know I am a part of something bigger than myself. That I’ll be helping save the world, in my own, very small, way.”

You finished your impromptu speech with a sheepish smile. There was a lull of silence before the woman clapped her hands together.

“Well! I think I’ve heard just about enough. Tom here will email you details by Monday, and I’ll expect you here bright and early with all that dedication of yours. We’re about three weeks behind because Bradley fucked up again.”

She and the others were out the door before you could thank them.

You turned in your seat and looked at Natasha with wide eyes.

She had that special smirk on her face that meant she was proud of you. 

“Come on, Пчелка. I’ll buy you lunch,” she gently grabbed your arm and pulled you to your feet.

You pushed hair out of your face and said, “Oh my god. Did I just get the job?”

Natasha chuckled and looped your arm with hers.

“With that speech of yours? Of course. Told you no one can resist your fluffy little heart. Now, let's eat something before the remainder of your shock wears off,” she walked the two of you back to the elevator. 

She was right, of course. After you had each taken a bite of your sandwiches, you exploded into hysterical laughter before crying about how much you loved and appreciated Natasha. She just patted your back and yelled at you to finish your sandwich before she did. 

Not-so-deep inside, Natasha was secretly relishing in your reaction. Everything was going according to plan. 

Once the two of you arrived back at your apartment, you turned to Natasha.

"Wait, how come Tony Stark wasn't there? I specifically remember the secretary saying 'Mr. Stark will see you now' because I nearly died," you questioned.

"Oh I told her to tell you he was coming. Thought it would be funny," she smirked at you.

Your jaw dropped and you picked up the nearest object to pelt her with: a pillow with Robert Downey Jr's face on it. 

Natasha laughed and picked another pillow up to attack you back. 

After the two of you had had your fun, you both fell to the couch and started watching whatever new crime episode was on that you loved.

Natasha quietly stewed within herself. She actually had invited Tony to be at the meeting, but at the last minute she told him you weren't coming. She was honestly confused by her own reluctance for the two of you to meet. She thought she had been ready for it, but I guess she needed to hold on to you for a little longer. 

She watched as you cuddled Peanut to your chest and gasped at the TV as the crime solvers found another dead body. She smiled softly to herself. 

Yeah, maybe just a little bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, if you guys ever have any questions or notice I've made a mistake, grammatically or in the plot, please please please let me know! I don't want this to be more garbage than it already is. Thanks! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Again, your feedback would be greatly appreciated. It will keep me motivated to continue this story (hopefully). If you have any ideas about where you'd like to see the story go--please!--let me know and I will see to it where I can. I'm just trying to learn and make this a new creative project for myself. Stay safe everyone!


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